'''Click''' on the map below to go to a county page. '''Hover''' over a county to see its name. To see a '''larger''' version of the map, [[South Carolina Counties Map|click here]]. {{SCimagemap2}}

'''Click''' on the map below to go to a county page. '''Hover''' over a county to see its name. To see a '''larger''' version of the map, [[South Carolina Counties Map|click here]]. {{SCimagemap2}}

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==== Counties or Districts ====

==== Counties or Districts ====

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To find South Carolina records, it helps to understanding the history of their counties and districts. <ref>"The Counties from 1664 to Present - In Alphabetical Order" in ''South Carolina - The Counties'' at http://www.carolana.com/SC/Counties/sc_counties_alphabetical_order.html (accessed 28 April 2011).</ref> <br>'''Early.''' Until the 1760s the predominant court was in Charleston. Parish and township records were kept, but records at counties not so much. Early '''''counties''''' were used more to describe locations than as record keeping jurisdictions.<br>'''1769.''' Seven circuit court '''''districts''''' were established. Record keeping in district seats became more important. Parishes continued. All '''''counties''''' were abolished. '''1785.''' The seven overarching '''''districts''''' were sub-divided into three to six '''''counties''''' each. Provisional counties in several older southern districts never built courthouses, never functioned, and were counties in name only. <br></div><div style="float: left; width: 147%">The other newer northern districts were often settled by people accustomed to county government who eventually erected courthouses, and fully functioning counties. Some of the county names (or similar names) from this period were used for later counties with different county boundaries.<br>'''1791.''' The 14 provisional counties within Charleston, Beaufort, and Orangeburg districts and several others were dissolved for failure to thrive. Two new '''''districts''''' with six '''''counties''''' inside those new districts were reorganized from parts of previous districts and counties in the far north. <br>'''1800.''' All overarching '''''districts''''' were abolished. Three of the previous counties were abolished. Seven new '''''counties''''' were created and added to the other remaining counties. However, all South Carolina '''''counties''''' were also <u>called districts</u> until 1868. <br>'''1868.''' Any remaining so-called '''''districts''''' were officially changed to '''''counties'''''. <br><br>'''Extinct Counties: [https://www.familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Bartholomew_County,_South_Carolina Bartholomew]'''&nbsp;[[Berkeley (1682-1768) County, South Carolina|Berkeley (1682-1768)]]&nbsp;[[Berkeley (1785-1791) County, South Carolina|Berkeley (1785-1791)]]&nbsp;[[Carteret County, South Carolina|Carteret]]&nbsp;[[Charleston (1785-1791) County, South Carolina|Charleston (1785-1791)]]&nbsp;[[Claremont County, South Carolina|Claremont]]&nbsp;[[Clarendon (1785-1800) County, South Carolina|Clarendon (1785-1800)]]&nbsp;[[Colleton (1682-1768) County, South Carolina|Colleton (1682-1768)]]&nbsp;[[Colleton (1785-1791) County, South Carolina|Colleton (1785-1791)]]&nbsp;[[Craven County, South Carolina|Craven]]&nbsp;[[Granville (1708-1768) County, South Carolina|Granville (1708-1768)]]{{·}} [[Granville (1785-1791) County, South Carolina|Granville (1785-1791)]]{{·}} [[Hilton County, South Carolina|Hilton]]{{·}} [[Kingston County, South Carolina|Kingston]]{{·}} [[Lewisburg County, South Carolina|Lewisburg]]{{·}} [[Lexington (1785-1791) County, South Carolina|Lexington (1785-1791)]]{{·}} [[Liberty County, South Carolina|Liberty]]{{·}} [[Lincoln County, South Carolina|Lincoln]]{{·}} [[Marion (1785-1791) County, South Carolina|Marion (1785-1791)]]{{·}} [[Orange County, South Carolina|Orange]]{{·}} [[Pendleton County, South Carolina|Pendleton]]{{·}} [[Salem County, South Carolina|Salem]]{{·}} [[Shrewsbury County, South Carolina|Shrewsbury]]{{·}} [[Waccamaw County, South Carolina|Waccamaw]]{{·}} [[Washington County, South Carolina|Washington]]{{·}} [[Winton County, South Carolina|Winton]]{{·}} [[Winyah County, South Carolina|Winyah]]<br><br> '''Overarching Districts:''' [[Beaufort District, South Carolina|Beaufort District]]{{·}} [[Camden District, South Carolina|Camden District]]{{·}} [[Charleston District, South Carolina|Charleston District]]{{·}} [[Cheraw District, South Carolina|Cheraw District]]{{·}} [[Georgetown District, South Carolina|Georgetown District]]{{·}} [[Ninety-Six District, South Carolina|Ninety-Six District]]{{·}} [[Orangeburgh District, South Carolina|Orangeburgh District]]{{·}} [[Pendleton District, South Carolina|Pendleton District]]{{·}} [[Pinckney District, South Carolina|Pinckney District]]{{·}} [[Washington District, South Carolina|Washington District]] <br>

To find South Carolina records, it helps to understanding the history of their counties and districts. <ref>"The Counties from 1664 to Present - In Alphabetical Order" in ''South Carolina - The Counties'' at http://www.carolana.com/SC/Counties/sc_counties_alphabetical_order.html (accessed 28 April 2011).</ref> <br>'''Early.''' Until the 1760s the predominant court was in Charleston. Parish and township records were kept, but records at counties not so much. Early '''''counties''''' were used more to describe locations than as record keeping jurisdictions.<br>'''1769.''' Seven circuit court '''''districts''''' were established. Record keeping in district seats became more important. Parishes continued. All '''''counties''''' were abolished. '''1785.''' The seven overarching '''''districts''''' were sub-divided into three to six '''''counties''''' each. Provisional counties in several older southern districts never built courthouses, never functioned, and were counties in name only. <br>The other newer northern districts were often settled by people accustomed to county government who eventually erected courthouses, and fully functioning counties. Some of the county names (or similar names) from this period were used for later counties with different county boundaries.<br>'''1791.''' The 14 provisional counties within Charleston, Beaufort, and Orangeburg districts and several others were dissolved for failure to thrive. Two new '''''districts''''' with six '''''counties''''' inside those new districts were reorganized from parts of previous districts and counties in the far north. <br>'''1800.''' All overarching '''''districts''''' were abolished. Three of the previous counties were abolished. Seven new '''''counties''''' were created and added to the other remaining counties. However, all South Carolina '''''counties''''' were also <u>called districts</u> until 1868. <br>'''1868.''' Any remaining so-called '''''districts''''' were officially changed to '''''counties'''''. <br><br>'''Extinct Counties: ''' [[Bartholomew County, South Carolina|Bartholomew]]{{·}} [[Berkeley (1682-1768) County, South Carolina|Berkeley (1682-1768)]]{{·}} [[Berkeley (1785-1791) County, South Carolina|Berkeley (1785-1791)]]{{·}} [[Carteret County, South Carolina|Carteret]]{{·}} [[Charleston (1785-1791) County, South Carolina|Charleston (1785-1791)]]{{·}} [[Claremont County, South Carolina|Claremont]]{{·}} [[Clarendon (1785-1800) County, South Carolina|Clarendon (1785-1800)]]{{·}} [[Colleton (1682-1768) County, South Carolina|Colleton (1682-1768)]]{{·}} [[Colleton (1785-1791) County, South Carolina|Colleton (1785-1791)]]{{·}} [[Craven County, South Carolina|Craven]]{{·}} [[Granville (1708-1768) County, South Carolina|Granville (1708-1768)]]{{·}} [[Granville (1785-1791) County, South Carolina|Granville (1785-1791)]]{{·}} [[Hilton County, South Carolina|Hilton]]{{·}} [[Kingston County, South Carolina|Kingston]]{{·}} [[Lewisburg County, South Carolina|Lewisburg]]{{·}} [[Lexington (1785-1791) County, South Carolina|Lexington (1785-1791)]]{{·}} [[Liberty County, South Carolina|Liberty]]{{·}} [[Lincoln County, South Carolina|Lincoln]]{{·}} [[Marion (1785-1791) County, South Carolina|Marion (1785-1791)]]{{·}} [[Orange County, South Carolina|Orange]]{{·}} [[Pendleton County, South Carolina|Pendleton]]{{·}} [[Salem County, South Carolina|Salem]]{{·}} [[Shrewsbury County, South Carolina|Shrewsbury]]{{·}} [[Waccamaw County, South Carolina|Waccamaw]]{{·}} [[Washington County, South Carolina|Washington]]{{·}} [[Winton County, South Carolina|Winton]]{{·}} [[Winyah County, South Carolina|Winyah]]<br><br> '''Overarching Districts:'''[[Beaufort District, South Carolina|Beaufort District]]{{·}} [[Camden District, South Carolina|Camden District]]{{·}} [[Charleston District, South Carolina|Charleston District]]{{·}} [[Cheraw District, South Carolina|Cheraw District]]{{·}} [[Georgetown District, South Carolina|Georgetown District]]{{·}} [[Ninety-Six District, South Carolina|Ninety-Six District]]{{·}} [[Orangeburgh District, South Carolina|Orangeburgh District]]{{·}} [[Pendleton District, South Carolina|Pendleton District]]{{·}} [[Pinckney District, South Carolina|Pinckney District]]{{·}} [[Washington District, South Carolina|Washington District]] <br> '''Districts that became Counties 1800–1868:''' [[Abbeville District, South Carolina|Abbeville District]]{{·}} [[Anderson District, South Carolina|Anderson District]]{{·}} [[Barnwell District, South Carolina|Barnwell District]]{{·}} [[Beaufort (1800-1868) District, South Carolina|Beaufort (1800-1868) District]]{{·}} [[Charleston (1800-1868) District, South Carolina|Charleston (1800-1868) District]]{{·}} [[Chester District, South Carolina|Chester District]]{{·}} [[Chesterfield District, South Carolina|Chesterfield District]]{{·}} [[Clarendon District, South Carolina|Clarendon District]]{{·}} [[Colleton District, South Carolina|Colleton District]]{{·}} [[Darlington District, South Carolina|Darlington District]]{{·}} [[Edgefield District, South Carolina|Edgefield District]]{{·}} [[Fairfield District, South Carolina|Fairfield District]]{{·}} [[Georgetown (1800-1868) District, South Carolina|Georgetown (1800-1868) District]]{{·}} [[Greenville District, South Carolina|Greenville District]]{{·}} [[Horry District, South Carolina|Horry District]]{{·}} [[Lancaster District, South Carolina|Lancaster District]]{{·}} [[Laurens District, South Carolina|Laurens District]]{{·}} [[Lexington District, South Carolina|Lexington District]]{{·}} [[Marion District, South Carolina|Marion District]]{{·}} [[Marlboro District, South Carolina|Marlboro District]]{{·}} [[Orangeburg (1800-1868) District, South Carolina|Orangeburg (1800-1868) District]]{{·}} [[Newberry District, South Carolina|Newberry District]]{{·}} [[Pendleton (1800-1826) District, South Carolina|Pendleton (1800-1826) District]]{{·}} [[Pickens District, South Carolina|Pickens District]]{{·}} [[Richland District, South Carolina|Richland District]]{{·}} [[Spartanburg District, South Carolina|Spartanburg District]]{{·}} [[Sumter District, South Carolina|Sumter District]]{{·}} [[Williamsburg District, South Carolina|Williamsburg District]]{{·}} [[York District, South Carolina|York District]]

For more regarding South Carolina county formation and boundary changes, see the following:

For more regarding South Carolina county formation and boundary changes, see the following:

Click on the map below to go to a county page. Hover over a county to see its name. To see a larger version of the map, click here.

Counties or Districts

To find South Carolina records, it helps to understanding the history of their counties and districts. [1]Early. Until the 1760s the predominant court was in Charleston. Parish and township records were kept, but records at counties not so much. Early counties were used more to describe locations than as record keeping jurisdictions.1769. Seven circuit court districts were established. Record keeping in district seats became more important. Parishes continued. All counties were abolished. 1785. The seven overarching districts were sub-divided into three to six counties each. Provisional counties in several older southern districts never built courthouses, never functioned, and were counties in name only. The other newer northern districts were often settled by people accustomed to county government who eventually erected courthouses, and fully functioning counties. Some of the county names (or similar names) from this period were used for later counties with different county boundaries.1791. The 14 provisional counties within Charleston, Beaufort, and Orangeburg districts and several others were dissolved for failure to thrive. Two new districts with six counties inside those new districts were reorganized from parts of previous districts and counties in the far north. 1800. All overarching districts were abolished. Three of the previous counties were abolished. Seven new counties were created and added to the other remaining counties. However, all South Carolina counties were also called districts until 1868. 1868. Any remaining so-called districts were officially changed to counties.

Background

About 80 percent of the settlers of colonial South Carolina were of English origin. Many of them came by way of Barbados and other colonies rather than directly from England. A group of Dutch settlers from New York came to South Carolina in 1671. Another smaller group was of French origin, mostly descendants of Huguenots, who came to the area beginning in 1680. More numerous were the Scottish dissenters, who were brought in beginning in 1682, and the Germans, who arrived during the eighteenth century. Blacks constituted a majority of the population from early colonial times until 1930. Indian wars drove most of the native Americans from the state, but there are still a few Catawba Indians in York County.

The South Carolina Health Department has provided an online index of South Carolina deaths from the years 1915-1957. The index is divided into four sections: 1915-1924, 1925-1934, 1935-1944 and 1945-1949 and 1950-1958.

Project poster extends an invitation to find answers and share knowledge through the South Carolina wiki page. Print as a flyer, post to message board, link to newsletter, website, facebook page, attach to e-mail communication. This is a major initiative of the Family History Library U.S. Reference Unit in anticipation of the 2011 NGS Conference in Charleston.

SCIWAY South Carolina's Information Highway is a gateway to genealogical and historical information.